MATERNAL INSTINCTS : MOTHERHOOD. 193 



Tlieridium studiosum, when its web is destroyed, does not aljandon 

 tlie cocoon, which is orbicular and whitish and is placed in the central 

 l)art of the web. The inotlier then grasps it with her mandibles and de- 

 fends her i)rogeny while life endures. Her maternal solicitude is not 

 limited to her cocoon, but she also takes care of lier youn<;', making a 

 tent for their slielter and remaining near them until tliey can protect 

 themselves. 1 



Toward the last of July the female Turret spider appears at the top 

 of her tower witli a cocoon of eggs, about as large as a hazel nut, at- 

 tached to the spinnerets. She exercises the greatest care over 



Mother y^^y cocoon. On cool days she keeps it out of sioht down in her 



Turret . 



j^ . , tube, which is about eight inches in depth, including the tower. 



But when Mrs. Treat set the jar in the centre the motlier sjiider 

 soon came up and put the cocoon in the sun.sliine. When the weather was 

 cool cnougli for fire in the room, if tlie jar were placed near the fire the 

 spider ])laced her eggs on the side next the stove. If tlie jar were tlien 

 turned around, the mother presently moved the cocoon around to the warm 

 side, letting it .hang outside of the walls of lier tower. On the Gth of 

 October the young spiders were hatched, and at once perched upon the 

 mother's back, and even on her head and legs. She carried her cocoon 

 two months befoi'e the eggs hatched. 



The Lycosid Oxyopes viridans makes a conical cocoon liaving small 

 eminences, to which are attached the threads that hold it suspended firndy 



in the air. After it is finished the mother watches it constantly, 



never leaving its unprotected family.^ Professor Hentz, speak- 

 ing of the general maternal instincts of the Lycosids, says that the mother 

 defends her progeny to the last, and her feet can be torn from lier one 

 by one before she can be compelled to abandon her treasure. Thus can 

 maternal tenderness be exhibited in Ijeings winch are relentless to their 

 own species, and even to the sex which gives life to its progeny.'^ I must 

 say that my own experience gives no such examples of persistent devotion 

 under attempts to separate Lycosids from their cocoons. If the female of 

 Lycosa lenta be caught or wounded, the little ones escape rapidly in all 

 directions, but the mother is faithful to her duties and defends her progeny 

 while life endures.* 



A female of Dolomedes albineus was captured by a child, who trans- 

 fixed her cephalothorax with a pin. The creature was placed in a glass 



jar, and the wound, instead of proving mortal, healed rapidly. 

 ° °' After remaining inactive about three days, the spider maile an 



orbicular cocoon of light brown color, in which her eggs were 

 placed. She held it constantly grasped in her mandibles, and seemed in- 

 tent on watching it to the last; but the effort of cocooning once made, 



'■ Hentz, id., page 100. ^ Id., i)age 48. ^ Id., page 25. * Id., page 28. 



